Thomson Wins With Record-Equalling 65

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30613, 2 December 1964, Page 19

Thomson Wins With Record-Equalling 65

(New Zealand Frees Association) TOKOROA, December 1. The Australian professional, P. W. Thomson, equalled the course record of 65 in his final round to win the Forest Products 54-hole £l2OO golf tournament at Tokoroa today. The record was set by the New Zealand amateur champion, S. G. Jones.

Thomson finished one stroke ahead of the South African, C. Legrange, and the New Zealand Open champion, K. D. G. Nagle, who shared second place.

Magnificent chipping enabled Thomson to snatch victory after he had started the final round four strokes behind Legrange and two behind Nagle. Thomson’s three rounds were 69, 68, 65. Legrange returned 66, 67, 70 and Nagle 68, 67, 68. Godfrey Fourth The New Zealand professionals, W. G. Godfrey (69, 66, 69) and R. R. Newdick (68, 68, 69) were fourth and fifth respectively, and the Eisenhower Cup representative, E. J. McDougall, was the leading amateur, six strokes behind Thomson. Thomson, Nagle and Leg-

range played the last round in the same threesome, and! Legrange only needed to continue playing steadily to win. But he slipped slightly, and Thomson took full advantage of the opening left to him. Several times Thomson was short with second shots to the green but each time he piloted the ball into an easy putting position. Once he holed out from 60ft. ]

Thomson began his run at the second hole, he was two under after the fourth and his 60ft chip at the sixth made him three under. He reached the turn in 33 (three under), • with Nagle and Legrange out in 35. Thomson never faltered, and in an exciting finish just edged out his two rivals. Thomson was not the only player who equalled the course record. The other was the Tokoroa player, W. M. Morris, who came like a bolt from the blue to return a 65 —a substantial improvement on his previous rounds of 77 and 75. For not returning a card at the end of the first round, the Australian, E. W. Dunk, was disqualified. He played the course in 224. Missing At Hastings Thomson will not be playing in the tournament at Hastings next week. “I have to fly to Australia to attend a P.G.A. meeting,” he said today. “However, I will be back in time for the tournament at Wellington on Thursday week.” Final scores: 202: P, W. Thomson (Aust.), 69, 68, 65. 203: C. Legrange (S. Africa). 66, 67, 70: K. D. G. Nagle (Aust.), 68, 67, 68. 204: W. J. Godfrey, 69, 66, 69. 205: R. R. Newdick, 68, 68, 69. 208: L. Thomas (Aust.), 72, 67, 69; E. J. McDougall, 71, 68, 69. 209: F. Phillips (Aust:), 71, 69, 69. 211: D. Berry, 70, 69, 72; A. Murray (Aust.), 74, 70, 67; R. Tuohy (Aust.), 74, 69, 68; J. Sullivan (Aust.), 71, 71, 69; R. Howell (U.S.A.), 72, 68, 71; E. A. Ball (Aust.), 69, 71, 71. 212: R. J. Swinbourne (Aust.), 71, 68, 73. 213: B. Franklin (Aust.), 76, 68, 69. 214 M. Wolverldge (Britain), 71, 69, 74; S. Peach, 74, 72 , 68; P. G. Gunson, 69, 70, 75; G. Wolstenholme (Britain), 71, 69, 74. 215: G. Abbott (Aust.), 74, 72, 69; J. Kelly (Aust.), 68, 74, 73. 217: C. A. Johnston (Aust.), 73, 71, 73; W. M. Morris, 77, 75, 65. 218: D. L. Fearns, 75, 75, 68; F. Malloy, 74, 71, 73; E. Fennell, 75, 69, 74; B. J. Coxon, 76, 73, 69. 219: T. A. Brady, 74, 70, 75. 220: D. J. Cullen, 75, 73, 72; A. C. Relph, 72, 71, 77. 221: S. M. Leech, 73, 76, 72; W. Gale, 78. 70, 73. 222: B. D. Bamfield, 74, 74, 74. 223: F. H. Smith, 78, 69, 76; R. D. Haycock, 77, 71, 75. 224: D. Clark, 76, 74, 74. 225; T. D. Christie, 74, 78, 73.